Florida State’s Darrell Jackson Jr. looking to boost draft stock at Senior Bowl
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Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. declared for the draft on December 4th, kicking off the long pre-draft process, which involves all-star games, pro-days, and the combine. He begun his journey by accepting his invitation to the Shrine Bowl, which takes place in Dallas, Texas, where he shined and was named to the All-Practice Team. Jackson Jr. was one of twelve players named to the team, and the only interior defensive lineman to receive that honor.
Typically, players don’t participate in multiple all-star games, mainly due to the closeness in scheduling of the two bowls. The Shrine Bowl began its game week on January 23rd, while concluding the game portion of the week on January 27th. The Senior Bowl kicks off its practices on January 27th, making it impractical to participate in both.
Nonetheless, Jackson Jr. accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl and began a day late on Wednesday, January 28th. His official measurements at the Senior Bowl came out as 6’5, 328lbs, with 35” arms, and 11” hands, physical traits are only going to boost his stock come draft day.
Jackson Jr. immediately made his presence known with an impressive bull rush against Iowa’s offensive lineman, Beau Stephens. He used his long arms and his ridiculous strength to assert himself against the former NFL competition and Jackson Jr.‘s name was very frequently thrown around by those in attendance.
In Mobile, I got the opportunity to grab the defensive tackle for a quick interview to ask him about his time in Tallahassee. He told me a highlight of his time in Tallahassee was the upset victory over Alabama back in week 1 of this season. We then talked about the NFL pipeline that has been created, especially on the defensive side of the ball coming out of Florida State.
“They started a trend, we’re just trying to finish it… Florida State produces d-linemen, I just want to be the next one.” When asked about the environment at Doak Campbell Stadium, Jackson Jr. says he grew up watching it on tv, “running out that tunnel man, I mean like, you get chills in your body.”
The full interview is linked below:
Jackson Jr., who finished the 2025 season for Florida State with 44 total tackles and 1 sack for the Noles, is currently projected as a Day 2 pick this April in the 2026 NFL Draft. His stock continues to soar as he puts up more great performances during his pre-draft process. The Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl were great opportunities for Jackson Jr, and he took full advantage of them.
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